Wine and the Rooftop Terrace
by shanfourteen
Summary: Henry loses something by accident and Jo reacts differently than expected. Abe seems confused as to what side of that he was supposed to be on.


**I seem to like writing for Forever, don't I? ;) Anyway, I forgot to add a disclaimer to the last Forever story so I'll this one is for that and for this. None of these characters are mine and are all rightfully ABC's. Hope you all enjoy. (:**

**Happy reading! :)**

"You had it on, didn't you?" Abe asks as soon as Henry gets in the car. He's dripping wet, shivering, and pretty sure he's feeling the worst he's ever felt after dying. And the feeling has nothing to do with the dying itself.

"I didn't think I'd die tonight!" he exclaims, as if it will make it come back. The clothes Abe brought are in the back seat and Henry quickly wiggles into them.

"It probably cost a lot of money," Abe says.

Henry sighs. "That makes me feel a whole lot better."

"It shouldn't."

"I was kidding, Abraham," he says, rolling his eyes.

"That's not my name," Abe returns. He looks over his shoulder to make sure there aren't any cars coming but it's really to hide his tiny smirk from his adopted father.

"That's the name Abigail and I graced you with," Henry tells him, a reminiscent smile on his face, "so it's the name you're called."

"Why is my store called 'Abe's Antiques', then?"

"Because Abraham wouldn't fit on the-" he cuts himself off. "Why are we talking about the store!?" Panic is all that's in his tone, despite it being a few octaves higher than usual.

"We got distracted," Abe deadpans, "because we don't have a plan on how to get back a scarf that's disappeared because you died and woke up naked in the East River."

"As always, thank you for your honesty, Abe."

"Pleasure."

"But, really, what are we going to do?"

"We?" Abe repeats. "I'm not the one who died, why are you dragging me into this?"

"You're my accomplice," Henry answers. "And you have to help me."

"I don't know where she got it from."

"Ask her, then," he says, an idea slowly forming in his head. "Ask her where she got it from, and when she tells you we can go and buy the same one and she'll never know the difference!"

"That's a little sneaky."

Henry gives him a look. "Would you rather her find out that I lost it?"

"You didn't lose it, it disappeared."

"Exactly," he says, rolling his eyes. "Which makes it worse."

"You want me to ask Detective Martinez where she got the scarf she gave you for your 1 year anniversary of working together so you can buy a new one before she finds out that yours disappeared?"

Henry sinks into the seat with a self-satisfied smile on his face. "Brilliant plan, yes?"

Abe shakes his head and mutters, "You really have no idea."

"It's the principle!" Abe says, pacing around the store, his hands clasped behind him. "Besides, she's a detective, Henry, she'll notice." It's the morning after Henry died (which they still haven't discussed) and Abe's backtracking on the plan they decided on last night. Or the one he clarified but never agreed upon, to Henry's panic.

"The principle?" Henry repeats.

"Yes," Abe breathes. He thinks it's like talking to a teenager. "The principle is that it's not about the scarf it's about the one she gave you."

"But I don't know where that one is!"

He sighs. "I know. That's the problem."

Henry takes a seat on one of the stools against the wall. "This is a horrible predicament."

"We know that already."

"Why don't I just tell her I lost it?"

"Because, technically, you'd be lying," Abe answers before adding, "And because she might be upset."

"I don't know if Jo is that type of person, Abe."

"Well, we'll never know because you're not going to tell her."

"You'll ask her where she got it from?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But only because I don't want the good detective to get upset."

"You know," Henry begins, "if she does find out it, it will anger her more."

Abe sighs. "I do not know how I'm an optimist."

Henry invites Jo for dinner the following night, a gesture to celebrate the one year working anniversary. He's already given her something but the dinner is more of an informal get together. It's only on the roof of the store and Abe will be there. And Henry mentioned that Abe was cooking, which apparently had been a done deal.

"You've got to ask casually," Henry informs Abe. They're up on the roof already, with Abe setting up the placemats and cutlery, and Henry making sure there's no fingerprints on the wine glasses they only usually get out at Christmas time. "She can't suspect anything peculiar."

"There already is something peculiar," Abe replies. "You're not wearing her scarf."

"It didn't match what I was wearing," he says, as if that's an excuse. "And I'll tell her that."

"She'll probably laugh at you."

"So be it." He places the last glass on the table just as the doorbell rings from down below. "I'll get it." He makes his way down to the open floor of Abe's Antiques and smiles at Jo through the window. "Welcome back," he says as he opens the door.

"Thank you," she answers, stepping inside. "I, um, brought some wine," she adds, holding up the bottle. He notices she's wearing the gift he got her; a necklace with a leather band that sat down at mid stomach. She'd never worn a necklace that sat just below her neck before and when he'd seen this necklace in the store window, he'd thought it would be perfect. On the length of leather, a few bits and bobs hung.

Henry takes the wine gently from her hands and inspects the label for a few seconds before nodding to himself. "You definitely know how to pick a great wine," he says. He starts to explain how he knows this fact (He _was _alive at the time they started making it) but Jo starts speaking at the same time.

"My husband taught me," she answers. "I'm more of a scotch girl myself."

He laughs, biting back the '_I know' _since they've had multiple drinks after work in the year they've known each other. "Well, this wine is lovely." He gestures to the roof. "Abe's up there cooking so we shouldn't be too long down here lest he light the place on fire."

"I think you're confusing him with you," Jo says, following Henry up the stairs.

"I can cook," he answers, faux offended. It is true; after all, he's had years of experience. He's even the one who taught Abe. But it's one of the things Abe loves to do, and with him having less time to do so, Abe is head chef. Besides, Henry loves the sparkle his son gets in his eyes when the finished product is presented.

"I'm sure," Jo says, smiling as she passes Henry on the stairs and reaches the roof first. Her words pull him out his reverie and he follows her with a shake of his head.

The dinner goes without a fuss. Abe cooks his signature curry, which Jo gets a second helping of just because she can, and the three of them finishing two bottles of wine. It's only when Henry's popping the cork on the bottle Jo brought that he realises Abe hasn't asked her yet. He manages to get Abe's attention through a whole lot of seizure-like eye gestures and when he does, he flicks them towards Jo. She's standing by the fence of the rooftop and looking over the city of New York. When Abe realises what Henry means he gets a grin on his face and stands. It's safe to say that it's possible the three of them are a little tipsy but it's their one year anniversary and it's Jo's day off tomorrow. Abe always opens the shop late on a Saturday and Lucas will happily take up any of the slack at the ME's office if Henry wants him too. They've no limits and Henry grins when the cork comes out of the wine bottle. Abe and Jo come back to the table just as he finishes topping up their glasses.

"Abe tells me the scarf I got you doesn't much what you're wearing," she declares, a tiny bit slurred, the 's' of scarf coming out a millisecond longer than necessary.

Panic floods his face as Henry glances at Abe with a 'what are you doing?' look and Abe just shakes his head. "He'd be right," he answers, passing two of the glasses to his companions.

"But you always wear scarves that don't match what you're wearing."

Abe snorts and Henry takes on an offended look. "It's also a warm evening," he says, as if that's a better thing to say.

"Where'd you get it from?" Abe asks, before Jo can question his poor excuse.

"The scarf?" she says, and Abe nods. "I found it in a shop in Upper Manhattan. And I know you know I don't frequent there but I was having coffee with a few friends at this coffee shop. Anyway, it was in this shop that sells hats and things, like scarves and those weird frilly things that teenage girls wear on the tops of their socks. I saw it and thought, 'That is totally a Henry thing'." She shrugs. "I thought it would be a good present."

"I hope you didn't spend too much money on me," Henry tells her. He doesn't know if he's relieved or even more panicked.

Jo snorts. "You told me I shouldn't get you anything because you already have everything you need," he's quite pleased she remembers that, "so I hope when I tell you, you don't hate me."

"That could never happen, Jo," Henry says fondly.

"And I kind of went quality over money anyway. I thought you'd like it so I got for you. I wouldn't have cared if it was 20 dollars or more."

"So it was less than that?" Abe asks, carefully.

She bites her lip, a habit that she only seems to have when she's had a little bit of alcohol. "Yes," she answers after a moment. "Why?" she adds immediately.

Henry's smile is a little forced. "We're just curious."

"You hated it, didn't you?" she says, her face full of panic and Henry has to lay a hand on her shoulder.

"Of course not, Jo," he replies softly. Being alive for so long has given Henry the ability to hold his liquor well, so he feels like he _hasn't _had one third of two bottles of wine. "I thought it was lovely."

"Thought?" she repeats, ever the detective. "That's past tense."

Abe laughs. "Now you're in trouble." Apparently alcohol makes him forget that he's supposed to be helping his father_ not _get in trouble.

"Did you lose it?" Jo asks, and Henry can see she's got the beginnings of a smile on her face.

"I, uh, I may have," he says, wincing as he tells her the truth and focusing his eyes on the wine in his glass.

To both Henry and Abe's surprise, Jo starts laughing. She actually has to put her wine glass on the table so it doesn't spill. Abe looks over at Henry with a quizzical look in his face and Henry just shrugs.

"Jo?" he asks, curious and a little worried.

She manages to stop for a few moments and say, "I never said _I_ liked it."


End file.
